Belt buckle



Aug. 4, 1936. J. P. GORDON BELT BUCKLE Filed May 27, 1935 M VM/MT/ Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNETED STATES OFFEQE Application May 27,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to belt buckles of the type having a substantially flat coil of spring wire forming a resilient body provided at one end with means usually in the form of a wire loop adapted for attachment to one end of a belt and provided at the opposite end with a hook element adapted for connection with the perforated end of the belt.

One of the objects of this invention is to so construct the coil body as to eliminate looseness between the coil body and that portion of the belt passing through said body. This is attained by crimping the wire convolutions at the flat sides of the body, or at least at one side of the body, these convolutions being in a plane transverse to the plane of the belt and serving to constrict the belt passage.

Another object is to provide improved means for attaching a monogram plate to the coil body at the face thereof, characterized by fastening means on the plate adapted for engagement with a crimped portion of one of the convolutions of wire, such means being engaged and retained in an indentation of the crimped portion of the Wire.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved belt buckle of the type described in which the coil body is crimped at the face side so that the crimped portions of the adjoining coils are in alignment one with the other and give a ridged effect, or so that they nest one within the other, according to the plane in which the wireis crimped.

Other objects and attendant advantages will be appreciated as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following description when consideredin connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a face view of a belt buckle embodying my invention, showing a monogram plate attached;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken substantially on the lines 2-2 and 33, respectively, of Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a modified form of crimping, and- Fig. 5 is a face view of a belt buckle embodying my invention showing another modified form of crimping.

The belt buckle body is formed preferably of a length of spring wire 6 wound in a spiral coil with the convolutions tight together forming a substantially flat coil. For convenience in description, the coil body will be referred to as having a front side or face I made up of that 1935, Serial No. 23,590

' portion of the convolutions at the side of the body so designated, a back 8, and end portions 9 connecting the front and back portions of the convolutions. The ends of the coil may be suitably shaped for attachment to the belt. In the 5 form shown in Fig. 1, one end of the wire is shaped to provide a loop ill for attachment to one end of the belt (not shown), although the preferred embodiment is simply to bend back one of theend convolutions so that it lies approxi- 10 mately in the plane of the back 8. The opposite end I l also coplanar with the back of the buckle body, projects from said body and terminates in a forwardly projecting hook end 12 adapted to enter any one of the usual perforations of a 15 belt.

According to my invention, at least the front of the coil body is crimped either in a plane transverse to the plane of the belt-receiving area or passage, as shown in Figs. 1-4, inclusive, or in a plane parallel with said passage, as shown in Fig. 5. In other words, the crimping in the form shown in Figs. 2 and 4 is transverse to the front and back planes of the coil body, whereas, that shown in Fig. 5 is in a plane parallel therewith. Fig. 2 shows a single convolution of the coil and plainly illustrates how the crimped front and back sides of the coil constrict the belt receiving area so that the belt shown in dotted lines 83 is confined by the belt body and the usual lateral looseness and play between the belt and the coil body is eliminated or reduced. This is desirable, particularly in buckles designed for use with wide belts, although in all sizes it has the advantage of holding the buckle and the belt in the same plane and prevents undue looseness between these parts. In the forms shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the end portions 9 of each convolution are bent substantially on a radius and the intermediate portions of the wire are crimped. The number and size of the crimpings may be varied, although I prefer to have the crimping uniform through the convolutions of each coil body so that they will be substantially in alignment lengthwise ofthe body. This gives a particularly unique and attractive effect. The ridged effect thus produced promotes appearance of a less clumsy looking structure than the straight convolutions of prior constructions. The crimping is also desirable because it increases the spring tension and permits the use of spring wire of smaller diameter than heretofore. The crimping of the convolutions may be accomplished in various ways, either before or after coiling the wire.

The crimping has a further advantage in connection with means for attaching a monogram plate, or the like, to the coil body. This is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 in which a monogram plate 14 is'equipped with fingers l5 adapted to be inserted between spaced convolutions and pressed inwardly so as to embrace the wire of an interposed convolution, as shown in Fig. 3. The fingers l5 are further arranged, as shown in Fig. 2, to engage beneath the indentation of one of the crimped portions so that by contact with converging walls thereof, the monogram plate is held against displacement lengthwise of the wire. This eliminates soldering or more difficult forms of fastening and gives a stronger spring fasteners clipping onto the converging walls of a crimped portion of the wire, thus retaining the plate against replacement thereof lengthwise of the wire. 7

It should be understood that my invention contemplates crimping the front side only, leaving the wire straight at the back. It should alsobe understood that any suitable method may be employed for producing a belt buckle embodying the novel features, or any of them, herein described. Changes may, therefore, be made in details of construction and in sizes without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A belt buckle comprising a substantially flat coil of spring wire having the convolutions thereof tight together, the flat sides of the coils being crimped transversely to the plane of the belt-receiving area whereby to constrict such area.

2. A belt buckle comprising a substantially flat coil of spring wire having the convolutions thereof tight together, one of the flat sides of the coils being crimped in a plane transverse to the plane of the belt-receiving area whereby to constrict such area.

3. A belt buckle comprising a substantially flat coil of spring wire the convolutions of which are crimped at the front side of the coil providing converging wire portions, said converging wire portions being adapted to receive therebetween the spring fingers of a monogram plate for fastening said plate to the face of the buckle, said converging wire portions serving to hold the plate against displacement lengthwise of the wire.

4. A belt buckle comprising a substantially fiat coil of spring wire having the convolutions thereof tight together, each convolution being bent on a radius at the narrow ends and having at least one of its intermediate portions crimped in a plane transverse to the belt-receiving area whereby to constrict such area.

JOSEPH P. GORDON. 

